As is reported in newspapers and automobile magazines, there has been a major shift over the last decade in the automobile buying habits of the American public. The traditional four door family sedan or station wagon has a diminishing market share. Many suburban families have substituted a mini-van or a sport utility vehicle for the family station wagon. Many men now choose to own a pick-up truck rather than a car. Over the last decade, the largest single selling model of a vehicle has been the F-Series Ford truck. The increased sale of these vehicles reflects a change in lifestyle of buyers who are pursuing recreational uses like off-the-road adventures, camping, boat towing, or the other uses to which a sport utility vehicle, van, or truck may be put which are not as appropriate for a family sedan. Many of these vehicles are equipped at the factory with a trailer hitch. These trailer hitches usually come with an integral wiring connector so that lights on the trailer will be operated by the lighting switches and wiring that are integral to the vehicle. Thus, when the operator of the towing vehicle turns on his lights, the integral wiring connection to a towed vehicle cause the trailer lights to come on. Likewise, when the operator of the vehicle turns on his turn signal, the turn signal on the trailer will respond appropriately. Finally, when the operator of the vehicle applies his brakes, brake lights will come on the rear of the trailer. In addition to a trailer hitch that may be installed at the factory, other vehicle owners may have a trailer hitch and wiring connector installed in their vehicle from an after market supplier.
Broadly speaking, trailer hitches come in two types. In one type, the hitch arm is permanently installed and there is a trailer hitch ball bolted to the trailer hitch arm. The hitch ball may be removed when not in use, although many owners will leave the trailer hitch ball attached to the trailer hitch arm permanently. A second type of trailer hitch has a rectangular tubular socket. A removable male connecting piece is inserted into the rectangular tubular socket and secured there by a pin or such similar device. It is on the male connecting piece that the trailer hitch ball is mounted for connection to the trailer hitch connecting cup on the trailer.
These trailer hitches are not the most attractive feature on a vehicle. Moreover, both types of trailer hitches are subject to damage from the elements, road dust and tar, water exposure, and other circumstances encountered by the towing vehicle. Consequently, various types of protective and ornamental covers for trailer hitches have been devised. One type seen for a ball hitch is disclosed in the Ostrom et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,738,293. There, in one embodiment a decorative duck head is used to cover the trailer hitch ball and to protect it from exposure to damaging elements. A device similar to the Ostrom '293 patent is seen in Becker, Jr., U.S. Pat. No. 4,955,968. Morrison discloses an ornamental cover for the tubular socket trailer hitch in U.S. Pat. No. 5,603,178. Each of these prior United States patents attempts to improve the appearance of the trailer hitch connection found on the towing vehicle, while also providing protection for the trailer hitch connection.
A variety of lighting accessories are also commonly found. Specially lighted license tag receptacles are common. Before the law required the placements of a third brake light above and centered between the two standard brake lights, many people had purchased an accessory brake light for placement on the shelf of the rear window of their vehicle. An early example of a lighting accessory is seen in the Hendricksen, U.S. Pat. No. 3,200,524. There, an accessory light is mounted to the trunk lid of a vehicle with appropriate dedicated accessory wiring. This provides an accessory safety light, but also can convey a particular message. The Hendricksen patent shows in one embodiment a lighted message showing the letters "D.C.", indicating that the owner of the vehicle is a Doctor of Chiropractic medicine. F. W. Sherwood, in U.S. Pat. No. 2,525,001, discloses a decorative light that could be placed on the front or the rear of the vehicle and convey a seasonable message such ask "Merry Christmas". Thomson et al., U.S. Pat. No. 2,836,913 discloses an advertising sign to be mounted on the rear of a vehicle on the trunk lid. It is believed this would find its primary application in commercial vehicles like taxies, company cars, and the like.